For those of you who are often awake for more than 16 hours busy at work and with studies. Or have a crazy schedule in life ; like night morning shifts then sleep in the afternoons. Rumor has it that the 5:2 fast days are 12 hours long and extra hours are not included. How true is this ? Is it two 24hour days or 12hour days ?

The rumour comes from the newish 12:12 eating pattern. During your fast day, you try and eat everything within a 12 hour window. It doesn’t mean the fast stops after those 12 hours.

So, you ate at 8.30pm the night before the fast day, breakfast on a fast day isn’t before 8.30am. You don’t eat after 8.30pm on the fast day, and breakfast the next day is 8.30 again. Times adjust to fit your lifestyle and whether you have breakfast.

As Dyask says, it works out at about 36 hours. The idea is to give your body more time to burn some fat.

If possible, put your heavier meal earlier in the 12 hour window and the light meal later. Again, it makes it easier for your body to burn fat.